norviel



Oct. 25, 1932. E, NORVlEL 1,884,145

IGNITION DEVICE Filed Oct. 9, 1928 gnwwfom Eggs W Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY E. NORVIEL, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO DELCO-REMY CORPORATION,

- OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE IGNITION DEVICE Application. filed October 9, 1928. Serial No. 311,338.

This invention relates to apparatus for preventing unauthorized use of electrical apparatus, particularly to a key controlled device for preventing the use of the ignition apparatus of an automobile in order to prevent the theft thereof.

One object of the present invention is to provide a structure comprising means for connecting one terminal of a switch with a piece of electrical apparatus, for example, an ignition timer for an internal combustion engine, the connecting means comprising a conductor which is protected by a hard metal armor tube attached to the switch case and to the electrical apparatus, and a locking clip non-demountably securing the armored conductor to the timer, and electrically connecting the conductor with a circuit through the apparatus, for preventing removal of the metal armor from the timer case in order to prevent removal of the wire from the lock switch and to permit interrupting the circuit through the conductor and locking clip, so that the purpose of the lock switch might be defeated.

Another object of the invention is to provide for electrically coupling the armored conductor with a piece of electrical apparatus, such as an ignition timer, in such a manner that the electrical connection cannot be interrupted without great difficulty and without consuming an amount of time that would arouse suspicion. In this connection, it is one of the objects of the invention to provide electrical connectors or contacts between the conductor and apparatus, embodying a locking clip permanently secured to both members, and which is rendered inaccessible by reason of the said connection andarrangement of the parts in their assembled relation.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of one form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an ignition timer having the distributor head removed therefrom.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the apparatus taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the contact breaker mounting plate.

Fig. 5 is an edge view of the contact breaker mounting plate taken in the direction of the arrow 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the timer terminal connection, and taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the locking clip before it is bent into shape for final assembly.

Referring to the drawing, 20 represents the timer housing or cup which supports by screws 21, a breaker lever plate 22 having ears 23 through which the screws 21 pass. The bracket 22 supports a stud 24 around which a breaker lever 25 and a stationary contact bracket 26 are concentrically riveted. The lever 25 carries a rubbing block 27 adapted to be engaged by cam 28 which is rotatably supported by the timer in any suitable manner not shown. The lever 25 carries a timer contact 29 engageable with a relatively stationary contact 30 carried by the bracket 26 which is clamped in adjusted position relative to the plate by a screw 31 which passes through an arcuate slot 32 and threadedly engages the plate. One end of a leaf spring conductor 34 is attached to the lever 25 as by rivet or other conventional means and is attached to a terminal bolt 35 insulatingly supported by the plate 22. The spring conductor 84 urges the contact 29 toward the contact 30 and the rubbing block 27 toward the cam 28. Obviously, rotation of the cam 28 causes the timer contacts 29 and 30 to be intermittently separated and permits the spring 34 to intermittently close the contacts in order that electrical energy may be stored electromagnetically by an induction coil not shown, and thus distributed so that a sparking impulse will be produced.

In the instant embodiment of the timer apparatus shown, the make-and-break device has been duplicated and the similar parts have been given the same reference characters. However, one of the inake-and-break devices is similarly mounted upon a bracket 33, adjustably secured to the plate 22 by screws 39, 41 and 42, which allow an angular adjustment of one of the make-and-brea-k devices with respect to the other. The terminal bolts 35 connect the conductors 34 with terminal lugs 43 struck up from the plate 36 which is insulatingly supported on the plate 22 as by means of tubular rivets 37 passing through cooperating apertures in the plates 22 and 36 and an interposed strip of insulating material 38. By this structure, the terminal bolts 35 and hence the breaker levers 25, are insulatingly supported upon the plate 22, and have a common electrical connection through the body of the plate 36. The terminal plate 36 is further provided with an upstanding ear 40 for the purpose of making electrical connection with a terminal member in the wall of the timer 20.

The terminal member comprises a steel stud 5O reduced in cross section at either end, as at 51, providing. a locking engagement with an armored conductor generally indicated as at 52 exterior of the casing, and with a second reduced portion as at 53 for connection with the terminal plate 36 within the timer as will be explained. The reduced end 53 of the terminal stud has a non-rounded portion 54 with threads thereon for engagement with a nut 55, and which cooperates with a locking clip to provide non-demountable connection between the terminal stud 50 and the terminal plate 36, thus insuring at all times an electrical circuit through the timer and the armored conductor.

The connecting element between the upstanding ear 40 and the terminal stud 50 consists of a piece of hard strip steel initially stamped into the formation shown in Fig. 7, in which there is provided an irregular shaped blank having a circular aperture 61 in one end of the blank, an elongated or nonrounded aperture 62 and laterally extending tangs 63 and 64 presenting a notch 65 therebetween at the other end of the blank. The aperture 62 is punched in form to cooperate with the non-rounded portion 54 of the terminal stud 50, to present a non-rotatable connection when they are properly assembled, as will later appear. After the locking clip 60 has been punched in this formation, it is bent as along the line 66 to present the arms with the apertures 61 and 62, in a generally right angular formation, as will be seen from references made to Figs. 1 and 3. The looking clip 60 is attached to the ear 40 of the terminal plate 36 by a screw 67 passing through the aperture 61 and threadedly engaging the ear 40. When the clip is correct- 1 positioned with respect to the ear 40, and

V t iescrew 67 is tightened to hold it in that position, solder is attached to the parts as at 68 to fill the screw driver slot in the head of the screw and to securely hold the screw 67 in fixed relation with respect to the clip 60. The contact breaker plate assembly is then inserted in the housing 20 and attached thereto by means of screws 21 driven through the housing and into the cars 23. This presents the elongated or non-rounded aperture 62 of the clip 60 in opposing relation with respect to the aperture 70 in the housing 20 for the reception of the terminal stud 50.

In connecting the terminal stud 50 with the locking clip 60, an insulating sleeve 71 is passed through-the aperture 70 of the timer housing, over which is passed a non-conducting washer 72 exterior of the timer housing 20. A hard steel cup 73, having a central bore 74 of sufiicient size to pass over and firmly engage the insulated sleeve 71, is placed over the insulating sleeve such that a tongue 75 struck up from the bottom of the cup 73, will pass at the edge of the insulating washer 72 and contact with the timer housing 20. A second insulating washer 77 is then placed within the cup 7 3 and over the extending end of the insulating sleeve 71. The terminal stud 50 is then threaded with the condenser terminal member 78 about the reduced portion 53, which reduced portion is then threaded through the insulating sleeve 71 and through a third insulating washer 79 and thence through the aperture 62 of the clip 60 and finally within the nut 55, which, when tightened, will cause the shoulder of the reduced end 53 to engage the condenser connecting member 78 and thence clamping the washer 77, cup 73, washer 72, timer housing 20, washer 7S) and the locking arm of the clip 60 into a substantially non-rotative condition, the non-rounded portion 54 being closely received by the cooperating aperture 62. hen this connection has been accomplished, the tongues 63 and 64 of the locking clip are bent over the nut 55 to restrain it from turning, and a drop of solder is applied to the notch 65 as appears in Fig. 1 and as indicated at 80, to prevent the insertion of a tool for prying up the tongues 63 and 64.

To the outwardly extending portion of the terminal stud 50 may be connected any of the conventional armored connectors as 52, but

for the convenience and simplicity of illus-' tration, I have shown such an armored conductor which, when applied to the reduced portion 51 of the terminal stud 50, is non-demountably connected therewith by reason of the automatic locking means embodied in the parts 90 engaging the annular recess of the reduction 51. By this structure there has been provided a non-demountable connection between certain elements of the electrical apparatus and the exterior control thereof, which will effectively preven the would-be thief from tapping the electrical connection to establish the proper ignition circuit and to I open the ground circuit through the ignition apparatus.

Due to the position and relation of the connections of the clip 60 to the terminal plate 36 and to the terminal stud 50, the screw 67 cannot be readily removed since the screwdriver slot thereof is filled with solder and the juxtaposed edge of the head with the clip is also covered by solder. The terminal stud 50 is non-rotatable with respect to the clip 60 by reason of the non-round threaded portion 54 of the reduced end 53 engaging the cooperating aperture 62 of the clip 60, which prevents it from turning therein. Removal of the nut 55 from the threaded extension of the stud 50 is precluded by rea son of the bent-over and soldered tangs 63 and 64. Thus the terminal stud 50 cannot be disconnected from the clip 60 even though access could be had through the portion ex tending Without the timer cup. However, turning of the stud 50 is prevented by reason of the armored conductor 52 being automatically locked and non-demountably connected to the terminal stud by reason of the locking part 90.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A theft preventing device for automotive vehicles comprising, in combination, an ignition timer, an armored conductor, means non-demountably securing the conductor to the timer, and means completing a circuit through the conductor and timer, including a locking clip secured to the terminal plate of the timer and electrically connected to the end of the conductor.

2. A theft preventing device according to claim 1, in which the conductor securing means embraces a terminal stud insulatingly secured to the timer housing and having locking engagement with the armored conductor, and a cup insulatingly supported on said stud to receive the conductor armor and having means for electrically connecting the armor with the timer housing.

3. A theft preventing device according to claim 1, in which the locking clip is of strip steel.

1. A theft preventing device according to claim 1, in which the locking clip is of strip steel, bent into an angular bracket like memher.

5. A theft preventing device according to claim 1, in which the locking clip is of strip steel, bent into an angularbracket like member, one of said angular portions having means for lockably engaging the securing means.

6. A theft preventing device according to claim 1, in which the circuit completing means comprise a stud insulatingly supported in the wall of the timer housing and lockably engaged by the armored conductor without the housing and non-separably connected to the terminal plate within the timer housing by an angular locking clip.

7. A theft preventing device according to claim 1, in which the circuit completing means comprise a terminal stud fixed in the walls of the timer housing, a locking clip non-demountably connected to the stud and terminal plate within the said housing.

8. A theft preventing device for automotive vehicles comprising, in combination, an ignition timer having a housing, a terminal plate in said timer housing, a terminal stud secured to the timer housing and having nondemountable connection with an armored conduit attached to the timer, and a locking clip non-demountably connecting the terminal plate and the terminal stud.

9. In a theft preventing device for automotive vehicles, the combination of electrical apparatus and an armored conductor non-demountably secured thereto, of means nonseparably connecting the conductor with elements of the apparatus to prevent disassembling thereof.

10. The combination as specified in claim 9. in which the connecting means includes a locking clip having an apertured arm to engage a threaded portion of the conductor securing means, said arm also having ears adjacent the aperture to lockably engage a nut when threaded on said securing means.

11. A theft preventing device for automotive vehicles comprising, in combination, an ignition timer having a housing, a terminal plate in said housing, a terminal post insulatingly supported by the housing and having a part exterior to the housing and a part extending into the housing, means within the housing for securing the post to the housing, and a conductor for electrically connecting the plate and post and having means for resisting removal of the post securing means.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my sig nature.

HARRY E. NORVIEL. 

